No. 455
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY
WRITTEN QUESTION
Mr Higgins to the Minister for Health:
Urban / Rural / Remote Definitions
1. Please advise the definition of ‘urban’, ‘rural’ and ‘remote’ for health clinics and hospitals in the Northern Territory.
2. What is this based on?
3. Are the employment conditions of staff classified the same as the health clinic or hospital where they are employed?
RESPONSE
1 and 2 – Definitions of urban, rural and remote health services
There are various definitions used within the Northern Territory and nationally, as demonstrated below:
The declaration of Northern Territory Government premises as a hospital, an urban or remote health centre is made under the Northern Territory Medical Services Act. The latest declaration can be found at:
https://nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/441008/s58.pdf
The NTPS Remote Locality Provisions Determination applies across the whole of the public sector and the Determination specifies what constitutes a remote location and the benefit an employee stationed in a recognised remote locality may be eligible for.
https://ocpe.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/247969/Remote_Locality_P rovisions_Determination.pdf
The Australian Bureau of Statistics uses the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Structure, details of which can be found at:
http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/home/remoteness+structure
The Australian Government Department of Health uses the Modified Monash Model, more information can be found at:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/otd/publishing.nsf/Content/Classification- changes.
3. Employment conditions
All NT Health staff employment conditions are in line with relevant Enterprise Agreement.
NTPS Executive Contract Officers’ terms and conditions of employment are established through Determination 13 of 2011, rather than an Enterprise Agreement.
